The near-death poisoning of Brigida Uto, a mother-of-one who resided in a rural East County California home, by her Navy sailor husband, Race Uto, baffled doctors, law enforcement, and even the FBI.
When Brigida arrived at a San Diego Kaiser Permanente triage center in March 2018 after having been sick for months, doctors struggled to find the cause of her mysterious illness. She suffered from severe hair loss, lost all her senses and vision, and faced trouble using her legs and hands.
Doctors eventually detected thallium, a deadly substance that was once widely used in rat poisons and insecticides until it was banned, in Brigida's blood. Her husband of three years was implicated in the crime. He ultimately pleaded guilty to three counts of premeditated attempted murder.
Brigida Uto's case features on Oxygen's Dateline: Secrets Uncovered in an episode titled The Prussian Blue Mystery, which will air on the channel this Thursday, July 20, at 8 pm ET.
Here's the official synopsis for the upcoming episode:
"Young mom Brigida Uto loved running and chasing her toddler around, and when her health suddenly failed, doctors had to unravel a medical mystery to save her life; then, the FBI joined the confounding case and uncovered a sinister plot."Brigida Uto's poisoning: A mysterious sickness leads to shocking revelations about a seemingly perfect couple
1) The mystery behind Brigida Uto's strange sickness was detected in March 2018
Brigida fell ill in the fall of 2017, sometime around September. She had a young son and was married to her high school sweetheart, Race Uto, for three years at the time. Race was a Navy sailor as a third-class electrician's mate assigned to Naval Base Point Loma. The couple resided in a rural East County, California, home.
According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, the young mother's condition deteriorated in the months that followed, and she ultimately arrived at a San Diego Kaiser Permanente triage center in March 2018. She was suffering from severe hair loss, felt dizzy more often, was unable to eat, and had become too weak to even stand. Brigida described her illness as "a nightmare that wouldn’t stop."
Then, doctors detected fatal amounts of thallium, a toxic metal that was once used in rat poisons and insecticides. The substance has been banned in the United States for years now.
The same outlet reported that upon learning this, Brigida Uto said in disbelief,
"When the doctors told me I had thallium in my system, I was in shock and disbelief."2) Her husband of three years had been poisoning her for months
Brigida Uto's husband of three years and partner of ten years, Race, fell under suspicion after local law enforcement along with the FBI launched an investigation into the strange case and found The Poisoner's Handbook downloaded on his phone.
According to The Cinemaholic, Race Uto had been poisoning the 28-year-old Brigida for months and by the time she arrived at the hospital, she was critically ill. Doctors gave her two months to live, but she survived the significant nerve damage and trauma. Thallium is reportedly nearly undetectable after it has been ingested and is, therefore, banned in the country.
The San Diego Union-Tribune report stated that Race first laced her food and drinks with thallium in August 2017 with a small dose. He increased the amount in December when his previous attempt failed to work. He gave her five times the previous amount in January 2018.
Authorities made the discovery three weeks after Brigida was admitted to the facility. She questioned how one could do "this to the mother of your child?"
She continued:
"The only way out of a marriage is to kill your wife slowly? I cared for you; I loved you, and you silently watched me suffer for months."3) Race Uto pleaded guilty to three counts of premeditated attempted murder
Sources state that Race was arrested in March 2018, weeks after Brigida was admitted to the facility. His defense attorney claimed that the former Navy sailor suffered a severe back injury at the Naval Academy in Annapolis and has an electronic implant to help with pain control. The pain caused by this injury allegedly "clouded his judgment."
Race eventually pleaded guilty to three counts of premeditated attempted murder and was given three life sentences with parole after serving a minimum of 21 years in prison.
Dateline: Secrets Uncovered will further delve into Brigida Uto's case this Thursday.
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